To be fair, the first time I saw this movie, I was a Central Time Zone yahoo. 2001: A Space Odyssey has the distinction of being the first movie I ever went to. The year was 1968. I was 5 years old. I was living in St. Louis, Missouri at the time. With my parents, or course, and my older brother. My parents stuck us two boys into our footie pajamas, packed us into the car and set off for the Crown Theater in St. Louis. And when I say "theater", notice the word is singular, as in "one screen". Ooooh, a UNIplex! And not only is this back in the day of the single theater, but its also back in the day when you could bring your kids to the theater and they would NOT be brats. But they would actually fall asleep according to their normal bedtime. Moviegoers did not "roll their eyes" at parents with kids because both the kids and the parents were much different then than the parents and kids of today. But I digress. Obviously, I didn't stay awake for the whole thing, but the two main things I remember from the movie that night are the monkeys and HAL's red light.

Now I have seen 2001: A Space Odyssey a number of times since then, including just a few minutes ago. And I have to say that it is STILL a great f-ing movie. The first 22 minutes of the movie has no dialogue at all, but the groundwork for all the important themes in the movie are being laid in those first 22 minutes. Even the dopey ape costumes look great considering the special effects know-how of the time. Sometimes when watching classic movies I try to pretend that I am watching the movie for the first time back in the year that it was originally released. It helps me be marveled all over again. You should try it. Next time 2001, The Wizard of Oz, or The Ten Commandments come on, try to imagine you are seeing the movie for the first time, IN the time frame it was released. It helps from getting too jaded from the specatular special effects of today.

Anyway, the year 2001 has begun and while mankind isn't flying to Saturn, colonizing the moon, or contacting alien life-forms, it is still a wonderful milestore. It IS, after all, the start of the new millenium (I know, I know, you thought it was last year. But just 'cause the media tells you something, doesn't make it true.). On a personal level, I have decided to make this year a turning point in my life. I know that sounds like an earth-shattering pronouncement, but it really isn't. Its more like a number of smaller tremors designed to put me back on what I feel is the right track for my life. For too long I've been letting myself kinda float along aimlessly. I attributed this to a job that really ate away at me more that I realized. And even though I've been working at another job since June of 2000, I've never really put my life back on the track I know and want it to be on. So for those of you who actually know me, you may not notice anything different but rest assured I'll probably be happier. And for those of you reading this who don't know me, you really don't care either way, do you?

So here's to you,Arthur C. Clarke (aged 83, living in Sri Lanka, confined to a wheelchair due to polio) and to you, Stanley Kubrik (dead, confined to a coffin due to death - or possibly cremated in which case "confined to an urn" would be more appropriate) for making "the proverbial good science-fiction movie".